Reasonable steps on track to cut debt

This is among commentaries submitted to The Gazette from students at Janesville’s Craig and Parker high schools who did field studies in either Washington, D.C., or Madison in Advanced Placement U.S. government courses taught by Joe Van Rooy.

We all know the Wisconsin budget has been going downhill without an uphill in sight. The budget will turn around as the economy does since Wisconsin makes up only about 2 percent of the country’s economy.

Our state’s spending went into two major categories—school funding and keeping taxes down. The governor had to cut school funding because no one wanted raised property taxes in this rough economy. When the economy picks up, the state will have more money to put back into our schools.

The crisis should not be blamed on any one person but rather the down economy. The cuts in spending Wisconsin has made have been in its best interests to get us back on track and get us out of significant debt.

“Paying into retirement was a reasonable proposition,” John Witte, a political science professor at Madison, said of public employees.

Without the quick actions that were taken, we would just be digging a bigger hole in debt. Over a period of time, we should get back on track and not have a significant amount of debt.

“Time will tell if the state will come back together,” Witte said.

It will save us from putting our financial problems on the next generation or kicking the can down the road.